Archive for ‘October, 2013’

Continuing on from last week’s write-up about Australian artist Adam Cullen, this week I thought David Larwill deserved a bit of conversation.

David Larwill was (and still is) one of Australia’s most significant and influential artists.

David Larwill

Born in Ballarat, Larwill studied at the Prahran College of Advanced Education and the Preston Institute of Technology, before founding ROAR studios in Melbourne with Mark Schaller in 1979.

The artist’s of ROAR together at their 30th anniversary, including Mark Schaller, Karan Hayman, and Pasquale Giardino.

Larwill and his fellow ROAR contemporaries aimed to separate themselves from the grip of established galleries, attempting instead to reinvent painting, producing expressive and vibrant works. Larwill’s works were bold, unrefined and primitivist giving them a somewhat naïve quality. However this can be misleading, for beneath this facade of naivety, was a considerable sophistication.

Larwill’s feelings, moods and expressions are represented in each work through compositions consisting of tribal like figures and the use of bold colour. Inspired by several visits to Arnhem Land and Central Australia, as well as to Morocco, Europe and New York, Larwill’s works portray a primal strength.

David Larwill “Little King” L/E Print, 80x64cm, Available at Tusk South Yarra

David Larwill, “Remember Me”, L/E Print 110x75cm, available at Tusk South Yarra

Sadly, David Larwill passed away in 2011 at the age 54 from lung cancer. Larwill significantly contributed to the Australian art world, and his work is now included in major collections such as the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne and the New Parliament House, Canberra. His influence on contemporary Australian art is forever present and will no doubt remain a part of the Australian identity.

To see the full range of David Larwill works available at Tusk click here

To make an enquiry into any of these works please email us at southyarra@tuskgallery.com.au or phone (03) 9827 3338.

To celebrate our first Solo Exhibition at Tusk Gallery Camberwell (also known as Graphic Impressions) we asked Mornington Peninsula artist Cheryl Petersen whether we could feature her art. Cheryl was over the moon and “Ethereal” is about to become a reality.

Cheryl Petersen studied Graphic Design at Monash University in 1998 as a mature age student and majored in illustration where upon completing university she worked both as a freelance illustrator and a jewellery designer.

As an illustrator she worked on several magazines and books including “Willis and the Echo” written by Craig Wellington and published by Hyland House, ”Jack the Giant Killer” and a selection of Hans Christian Anderson stories published by Pan McMillan. Her portfolio of work also extends to various children’s poetry books and book covers for Reed Books and various magazines and brochures.

In 2007, Cheryl Petersen realized her dream when she opened her own gallery –
Cheryl Petersen Galleries, located in Somerville, Victoria. The gallery constantly has a broad range of colour and texture on display, where you will discover subtle hues and sophisticated brush strokes of the many diverse artworks for sale.

“Mostly I paint to my moods, it is the foundation for my inspiration. My best works seem to happen naturally when I am totally absorbed in the moment. If I feel like painting the whole canvas black I will and then I just see what happens next….no planning, no contriving…just letting it flow. I try not to control my work too much, I prefer to keep the spontaneity flowing. I think it’s very important to be a good artist technically, but it is just as important to be able to create freely and originally from the heart.”

Cheryl has become well known for her style of work, which includes a large array of vivid designs & enriching colour, full of beauty & joy. Her background is evident in the often whimsical portrayal of subjects in her art. It is this diversity that has led her gallery to become a one of a kind learning studio that offers a large range of art courses & workshops for anyone to learn from, including the absolute beginner to the advanced artist.

If you’re a Tusk follower on Facebook, or you’re a fan of the ABC network in Australia, then you’ve probably noticed the recent talk of the series “The Art of Australia”. The series is presented by the legendary Edmund Capon – the Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales for 33 years until his retirement in 2011.

Click the image of Edmund Capon above to watch the first episode!

The series follows the history of Australian art and its impact on the development of our nation. So far there’s only been one episode but it looks to be a great series well worth a watch if you get the chance!

From the first episode, we follow Edmund through Australia’s positive and negative history, chronicling the artists’ whose artistic influence has moulded the development of Australia’s contemporary culture and now become legendary.

It got me thinking about the artists in our time – the way they have already impacted on Australian culture, and the ways they will continue to do so. One such artist that came to mind is the late Adam Cullen. One of Adam’s most distinctive qualities was the way in which he blatantly enjoyed aggravating the hierarchy of art. Art historian Vivien Gaston perfectly describes how Adam did this:

“He courted ugliness: an art that was an assault on the eye in both its subject matter and the way it was painted. His subjects include bleeding animals, drooling dogs, prostitutes and boxers.”

That “drooling dog” would have to be Adam’s dog Growler, whose playful expression was developed into a series of Limited Edition prints – one of the last projects Adam worked on before his death in 2012. The print (depicted below) shows Growler in all his beastly glory – wide-eyed, bite on display, dripping and unrefined edges typical of Cullen, yet with a playful tongue waving at the viewer as though waiting for a playmate.

The 4 colours available in the “Growler” Limited Edition Print, hand signed by Cullen himself

Love him or hate him it is undeniable Adam’s art has profoundly impacted on Australian artistic culture. The Archibald prize, a previously conservative portrait prize, has now widened its reach, attracting a variety of art styles and artists alike. This is greatly due to artists, like Adam Cullen (a participant in the competition 9 times, once a winner), aggravating the hierarchy of art and broadening our capacity for diverse artistic appreciation.

With a hotel built in his honour, a permanent collection at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as well as an increasingly high demand for his work, Adam Cullen has surely left behind a legacy that will permanently stay cemented in Australia’s history.

Adam Cullen

To make an enquiry into Adam’s Cullen’s Limited Edition prints available at Tusk Gallery please phone (03) 9827 3338 or email southyarra@tuskgallery.com.au

Witoon Krengnarongdath, or Op as his friends know him, has shown huge development over the past several years. He is always searching for new concepts, new techniques and ways to experiment and keep his art unique and contemporary. He tends to paint 5-6 paintings in a similar theme, before modifying his style and painting a new series.

“Woman and chair” 120x90cm, acrylic on canvas. A piece from Witoon’s previous collection, showing his experiments with depth and shadowing. This piece is available at Tusk South Yarra.

For an artist only just past 30, he has such a strong vision. He has a unique style that portrays the female form in new and exciting ways, demonstrating a strong future ahead. His concept is based on Form, Woman, Lines, Textures, Space, Rhythm and Beauty.

His latest works below capture movement so perfectly, you can almost feel the birds’ wings flapping and see the female figures morphing and wearing away. He is experimenting with softer colours in these works, keeping them quite restrained so as to focus on the delicate beauty of the female form and the gentle silhouettes of the birds.

“The Ladder” 140x180cm, $4,990, acrylic on canvas. Currently on display at Tusk South Yarra.

Witoon is currently part of the “Reflections” exhibition on display at Tusk South Yarra. Click here to see Witoon’s collection at Tusk.

To make an enquiry about Witoon please email southyarra@tuskgallery.com.au of phone us on (03) 9827 3338.

David creates beautiful gardens. He’s been doing this for decades. he’s not a gardner as much as a “garden Artist/Designer”. That sort of sums it up. Ever since I met David in the early 1970’s he has had a knack to create beautiful things out of what others may consider to be junk.

Even old tape measures find their way into his pieces.

Whenever one of Nett and David’s old crockery plates gets broken it morphs into a new life as one of David’s creations.

David made this piece for me about 20 years ago. It’s been one of my most treasured possessions ever since.

David’s workshop has been evolving for years. It’s a work of art in itself.

Some years ago, while browsing the shelves of a Parisian bookstore, Sophie Gralton discovered a hard cover bound catalogue dedicated to 17th Century Dutch portraits of children. She was immediately intrigued, and so Sophie lugged its pages all the way back to Australia. Shortly after, while photographing her own children at home, she was reminded of these Dutch paintings and decided to create her own contemporary Australian versions.

Having grown up in rural Victoria as the middle of five children, Sophie’s childhood held happy and nostalgic memories of country life.

“… I mourn for a time when children could remember what it was like to have milk bottles with foil tops, a baker that delivered to your home and the Postie rode a bike. That era has gone – and I want to capture now the childhood that my own children are experiencing by incorporating in my artwork, pieces of memorabilia of this current generation.”

Old linoleum, manila tags, children’s’ storybooks and postage stamps are placed below the surface of the canvas to bring a contemporary Australian feel to her works.

Although Sophie’s works aim to represent elements of her own children, she did not want them to be specific portraits, so she consistently removes the gaze of the child. Not only does this easily distinguish Sophie’s works from others, but it also avoids an over-sentimentality by allowing the viewer to see “every child”.

Sophie’s success increases more and more every year. Her work has been used as book covers, and even reached record prices at charity auctions. In addition she has exhibited all around Australia, Hong Kong, and the United States.

In addition to signed Limited Edition prints of Sophie’s beautiful works, we are also thrilled to have a selection of original works by Sophie. Her paintings have become collector’s items in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why! To see the full range of Sophie’s works available at Tusk click here.

Sophie’s painting “Beige Like Her Complexion” that sold for a record $50,000 at a charity auction in 2009.

Sophie’s artworks used for the cover of Carrie Tiffany’s aptly titled book “Mateship with Birds”.

We were very excited to receive two new artworks in stock at Tusk South Yarra this week!

One is by the very popular Australian artist Lisa Morgan, whose paintings beautifully capture elements of her surroundings around the Sunshine Coast. Lisa has been with us for about five or so months now, but she has remained a steady crowd favourite amongst Tusk’s clients and you can see why!

“Turquoise Sea” 120x90cm $1995, Currently on display at Tusk South Yarra.

The second new work is by renowned contemporary Thai artist Narate Kathong. We had an exhibition of Narate’s works a few years ago now, and they completely sold out. We are so happy to be receiving some of his new works as he is an incredible artist. We have three of his new works on display at Tusk at the moment, and the one below is the very latest to hopefully reach the gallery’s walls in the near future.

200x150cm, $9,990

For any further information on either of these artists or to make an enquiry on their works please contact Tusk Gallery on (03) 9827 3338 or email southyarra@tuskgallery.com.au

Here at Tusk we like to stay in tune with what art trends are favoured by interior designers as well as what our customers are increasingly looking for. It seems that lately, many people are looking for art with the outlook “Go big or go home!”. Interior designers and buyers alike are increasingly looking to make a statement in their homes, with more and more people asking for 1 large-scale work to make enough of a statement in their space that little else is then required.

Designers and buyers are increasingly favouring large portraits to create their desired impact. While this look may not be for everyone, they have a great potential for dramatic effect. Below are some examples from various publications of the impact that the right piece of art can have on your home: